The Wedding Night that Wasn't
by iloveromance
Summary: After Niles and Mel's union ends unexpectedly, Daphne and Niles return to the Elliot Bay Towers in the hopes of starting a new life. But anxieties and guilt plague Daphne, leaving Niles to worry that she'll never be able to forgive herself. A sequel to "To Have and To Hold"
1. Chapter 1

Daphne held onto Niles' hand as they climbed out of the car and walked into the Elliot Bay Towers. When she leaned against him he kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger a bit longer than he should.

No doubt he was inhaling the scent of her hair.

As they reached the elevator and stepped inside, she took the opportunity to slide her arms around his neck, unable to stop staring into his beautiful blue eyes.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

His innocence made her laugh. "At the church. You told that woman-."

"Oh... I remember!" He threw his head back with laughter. "You're talking about when I told that woman that we had a plane to catch for our honeymoon! I must admit that it wasn't very original, but it was obvious that she assumed we were married, so I figured it was the best way to get rid of her."

"No..." Daphne whispered placing a gentle kiss on his mouth. "I mean after that. When you told her that you wanted to be alone with the woman you planned on spending the rest of your life with."

He swallowed hard, indicating that he was more than a little nervous.

"Oh, that..."

"Did you really mean it, Niles? Because those were the most beautiful words I've ever heard."

He kissed her deeply prompting her to run her fingers through his silky hair. Once a light blonde, it had darkened into a light brown, making him even more handsome.

"Of course I meant them."

Her mouth began to tremble as tears of happiness slid down her cheeks.

"Oh Niles... I love you."

They were so caught up in their kisses that they barely noticed that the elevator doors had opened on the nineteenth floor.

"We're home." Niles said, his voice trembling with nervousness.

Daphne smiled mischievously.

"So we are."

She took his hand, pausing to unlock the door before leading him into the condo. But something happened when they stepped inside and the blissfulness she was feeling slowly began to fade away as reality set in.

In the doorway, she turned to face him in an attempt to say something, but nothing seemed appropriate.

In the course of just a few short hours, she'd managed to put an end to his relationship with Mel and therefore to his wedding. She couldn't just forget that.

As sweet and loving as Niles had been toward her since they left the church, she couldn't help but feel guilty. If it weren't for Roz and her ridiculous meddling, Niles would be married to Mel now.

And Daphne would be incredibly lonely.


	2. Chapter 2

They stood facing one another and for the first time she had no idea what to say to him. Sensing his uneasiness, she led him to the sofa and gestured for him to sit down.

"Would you like a drink?"

"I'd love one."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "All right. What would you like? A sherry perhaps?"

"Actually I could use some coffee. But don't trouble yourself. I'll be happy to help you."  
When he rose from the seat, she coaxed him back down.

"You just sit right there and relax. I can't imagine how tired you must be, what with all that you've gone through with the... wedding and all."

The words felt tight in her throat and she found it difficult to swallow. When her eyes met his, she saw a hint of pain in them and the feelings of guilt she had willed away began to surface.

She knew that he loved her, that much was evident. But deep down, she could see that he was hurting because of his broken relationship.

And it was her fault.

"Oh, your coffee! I'll just brew a fresh pot for you. It should be ready in a few minutes."

In the kitchen she tried desperately to think of something, anything to make him understand.

And just when she'd given up all hope, the sweet words wafted from the living room and into her heart.

"You're an angel."

While the coffee was brewing, Daphne returned to the living room and sat down beside Niles, amazed at how perfectly she fit against him.

His arm went around her and she snuggled close, sighing when his lips touched her cheek. Being kissed by Niles Crane felt like the most natural thing in the world.

She laced her fingers through his and rubbed his smooth skin with her thumb, knowing that this blissful moment was far better than anything she could have dreamed.

But deep inside it felt so wrong. And she couldn't help wondering if she'd made a huge mistake.

"What are you thinking about?"

Daphne sighed deeply. She didn't want to ruin this moment, but she could no longer ignore the inevitable.

As though sensing her anxiety, Niles turned to her.

"Daphne, is something wrong?"

The heavenly aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the living room and she jumped off the sofa.

"Your coffee..."

Unable to look at him, she rushed into the kitchen aware that he was following her.

"Daphne, that can wait."

"But you said-."

He extended his hand, prompting her to sigh and entwine her fingers through his.

"Come on."

The words were so soft; she wondered how she could have possibly heard him.

"But Niles..."

He led her to the sofa and coaxed her to sit down. When they were face to face, he stared into her eyes.

She did her best to look happy and she gave him a small smile. But inside her happiness had become anxiety.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She lied.

"Daphne, I'm here for you and if you're hurting-."

"I'm fine." She said a bit harsher than she meant to.

When his expression changed, she squeezed his hand.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm just... I'll get your coffee now."

She kissed his cheek, and rose from the sofa anxious to get into the kitchen before he could stop her again.

Safely in the kitchen she stood staring at the coffee pot, trying to calm her trembling hands. But as the guilt consumed her, so did her tears.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well that was a hell of a way to spend a Saturday!"

Daphne froze when she heard Martin's voice followed by the sound of the door opening.

"Now Dad, let's not dwell on it." Frasier said in his gentle tone. "If Niles wants to talk about it, he' , Niles... I didn't expect to find you here."

"Well, I'm not on my honeymoon if that's what you're wondering, Frasier."  
Daphne's chest tightened at Niles words. But he had a right to say them, didn't he?

"Niles, I didn't mean that! I just-."

She heard Niles sigh deeply. "I'm sorry Frasier. I guess I'm a bit-."

_Angry that Daphne ruined my wedding._ Daphne finished silently.

The voices continued, muffled and soon she could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation, save for the sporadic mention of her name and Mel's.

God, what had she done? In her anxiety over Niles' impending nuptials, she'd let Roz talk her into doing the unthinkable. Roz was one of her closest friends, but she should have never taken her advice.

What was she thinking, interrupting Niles' wedding, expecting everything to be like the fairytale scenes she'd watched in movies or read about in her romance novels?

She could still see the fire of anger in Mel's eyes followed by the painful sting of Mel's fist moving across her face.

As she sat in the church garden sobbing, Daphne should have known that Niles would come and find her. He was her best friend; of course he would come to her rescue.

But now she wasn't so sure.

Her heart warmed, remembering the way he took care of her and it made her fall even deeper in love with him.

But the chiding voice inside of her head chose that minute to remind her that Niles was still in love with Mel, no matter what he said.

"Roz! We thought we'd see you at the church!"

At Frasier's mention of her friend's name, Daphne's' heart nearly stopped.

Damn... she hadn't counted on dealing with Roz after all of this. Now what was she supposed to do?

"Niles, what are _you_ doing here?"

"Well, actually..."

"I thought you'd be on your honeymoon by now."

"Roz, please! Niles has enough problems right now without being reminded of-."

"It's all right, Frasier." Niles said. "Roz, if you're looking for Daphne, she's in the kitchen."

"The kitchen? What's she doing there?"

"Well, she went in there for coffee but something must be wrong. I wonder what's keeping her."

"You mean she's here? What's she doing here?"

"She lives here, Roz!" Frasier said.

"Gee, Frasier thanks for the information!" Roz quipped.

"If you must know, I took her home after the..."

"Oh my God..."

"What's wrong now?"

"She really went through with it? I just came over to give her some advice. I didn't think she'd actually do it!"

"This was your doing?"

"Well yeah, Niles."

"Roz, what are you talking about?" Frasier demanded.

"God Frasier! How can you all be so blind? It was so obvious that Daphne is in love with Niles, so I just-."

_Convinced her to destroy his happiness with his future wife._ Daphne finished silently; the bitter thought consuming her once more.


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh Roz, really? How could you?" Frasier yelled.

"Yeah, I want to know that, too!" Martin chimed in. "So that I can thank you!" He added, laughing at his comment.

"Dad, please! Enough of the sarcastic comments!"

"Well Fras, Niles being with Daphne is a hell of a lot better than him being with Mel! You know, I never liked that woman from the moment I laid eyes on her!"

"Dad, that's enough!"

"Boy, she made Maris look like-."

"DAD! STOP!"

"While you two get this argument out of your system, I'm going to find Daphne." Roz said. "Coming, Niles?"

He sighed deeply. "No, I'll just stay right here. She was upset earlier and I don't want to cause her any more pain. Although I wish I knew-."

"I'm all right." Daphne said, emerging from the doorway.

Frasier suppressed a smile and turned to his younger brother. "Niles, I have to admit that I wasn't too fond of Mel either and I'm very happy for you and Daphne."

Niles moved toward Daphne and gathered her in his arms. The comforting way he held her caused her tears to return. She could see Frasier, Martin and Roz glance at one another in awkward silence.

"You know, Frasier... There's something I wanted to show you and Martin." Roz said.

He looked at her in confusion until she grabbed his arm and pulled Frasier and Martin toward the door.

"Oh, right. I'd forgotten about that. Come on, Roz... Dad. I'll buy you dinner."

"Ooh... sounds wonderful!" Roz said. "Daphne, call me if you need anything."

Daphne smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"Bye Niles."

"Bye Roz, Dad. Frasier."

When they were alone once more, Niles held Daphne even closer and rubbed her back in a soothing circular motion. And then ever so gently he drew back, brushing a tear from her cheek.

"Daphne, what's upsetting you?" He asked quietly.

"It's all right. Just a bit stressed I suppose."

"If this is about Donny..."

She sniffled, prompting him to embrace her once more.

"I know this is hard and if you want me to come with you when you talk to him, I'd be happy to-."

His handsome face blurred by her tears, she kissed his lips and did her best to smile.

"Don't you worry about me, I-I'll be fine."

"I love you." He whispered into her ear.

"Oh Niles..." She whispered, her voice quivering.

"I should go." He said when their kisses ended.

"But-."

"It's all right, my love. I just... I need to take care of some things."

"Mel."

Niles sighed deeply. "I can't just ignore her. She's bound to make this difficult."

"It's my fault, Niles. I'm so sorry."

"Nonsense." He kissed her cheek and buried his face in her hair. "I'll be back soon."

Finally she smiled. "I can hardly wait."

After one last kiss, Niles walked to the door and smiled at her.

"I love you, Daphne. Now why don't you lie down and try to get some rest?"

Tears slid down her cheeks as he returned his smile.

"All right. I love you too, Niles."

When he was gone, the tears fell even faster despite her attempts to will them away. Even though she knew that he loved her, she couldn't shake the feeling that if she didn't tell him how she truly felt, she was going to lose him forever.


	5. Chapter 5

When the credits began to roll, Daphne glanced at the clock in dismay to find that only fifteen minutes had passed.

Bored out of her mind, she rose from the sofa and removed the DVD from the player. Her eyes fell to the title in a subtle reminder of what she had been watching. But really she hadn't been watching it at all.

The romantic comedy was just a way of passing the time until Niles returned. But how could she possibly be expected to pay attention to anything knowing that he was with _her_?

As if by eerie coincidence, Daphne's cheek began to throb. Like a malicious punishment, Mel's face came into view and the hand slid forcefully across Daphne's face again and again. The memory brought with it a stinging pain that she wasn't sure was real or imagined. But it was nearly impossible to make the feeling go away.

She shouldn't be remembering such things. She should be thinking of the man she loved and how gentle and kind he'd been as he tended to her swollen cheek.

Suddenly she missed him more than ever and she could only imagine what he was going through. Facing the wrath of his ex-fiancé had to be a nightmare. And she vowed that when he returned, she would do everything possible to make him happy. She wanted nothing more than to put the memory of this day behind them.

She leaned against the sofa and her eyes grew heavy as she began to relax. But then it happened...

A flash came over her without warning. And it was a flash so intense that the sensation made her gasp audibly.

_Niles was holding Mel's hand, stroking it with his thumb. He lowered himself to one knee, promising to make it up to her._

_ Mel didn't believe him of course. How could she, when the woman she hated-her ex-fiance's brother's maid as it were-made a spectacle of herself by interrupting their wedding and announcing to Mel's friends and family that she was in love with Niles; a man with whom Daphne had never even been out on a date with, much less kissed? It was the most disgusting display of attention that Mel had ever seen.  
Mel shook her head in disbelief._

_Daphne, Daphne, Daphne..._

_The poor English woman begged to be noticed by anyone, so she chose Niles' wedding to make some ridiculous confession and a bold attempt to ruin any ounce of happiness Mel and Niles were to have together.  
_

_It was without a doubt the most humiliating manifestation of Mel's life. She said as much to Niles as he knelt before her, offering his apology.  
_

_"It certainly was despicable." Niles replied, startling her with his honesty. After all this time, Daphne had finally managed to do something wrong._

_But Mel was no idiot. Daphne had done a lot of things wrong. Perhaps that's why she couldn't get a job anywhere else but being a maid to a stuffy psychiatrist and his annoying crippled father. _

"_Are you serious?" Mel asked, unable to believe that Niles would ever speak an unkind word about 'Princess Daphne'; the woman whom in everyone else's eyes could do no wrong._

"_I'm very serious." Niles replied. "And I'm sorry, Mel. Daphne's just... lonely and... well, she's never had a real boyfriend or even more than a few dates with the same man to my knowledge. I admit that I sympathized with her because I do care about her. But I don't love her. I know that now. I just... I dared to think that my life could be different if I followed something that I thought I wanted. But Now I realize how much I hurt you... and how much I love you. After the hell I went through with Maris, I want our marriage to last forever. I love you so much, Mel. Please forgive me. I have no right to ask you this, being that Daphne and I have put you through so much, but will you marry me? For real this time?"  
_

_Mel stared at him in disbelief. "How can you possibly think that I would agree to something so ludicrous and-."  
_

_He silenced her with a kiss. _

"_Please, Mel... Marry me and I promise that I'll never hurt you again. I love you always and forever so what do you say?"  
_

_Mel looked at Niles and smiled, but it wasn't the cynical smile that Daphne was accustomed to. This was the smile of a woman who was deeply in love. Mel took Niles face into her hands and kissed him._

_"Of course I'll marry you, Niles but it has to be tonight. No more waiting. I don't want to spend another day without being your wife. I've waited far too long for this. We'll elope and then no one has to know about it."_

_"But what about Dad? And Frasier and Daphne?"  
_

_She sighed irritably, the smile on her face turning from genuine to false._

"_The hell with Daphne!" Mel yelled. "She's just a maid... a lowlife good for nothing maid who will never amount to anything. No wonder she had to come to the United States to find work."  
_

_Their kisses resumed over and over again, growing deeper and deeper until they began to spin out of control, taking Daphne along with them.  
_


	6. Chapter 6

Daphne awoke with a jolt; her heart thundering beneath her chest. Her mouth was dry and her cheek was throbbing so badly she could hardly bear it.

Breathing was nearly impossible as she took several deep breaths, finding it difficult to do so. The blood rushed to her head and she was hit with a dizzy spell unlike any other she'd ever imagined.

Darkness surrounded her becoming deeper and deeper and her churning stomach wasn't helping at all.

Oh God, why had she interrupted Niles wedding? He deserved his happiness and Mel was the one who made him happy, not Daphne.

At once, nausea began to surround her and she clutched her stomach in agony.

Her vision blurred and she slumped against the wall, clutching her stomach. When her eyes closed, she once again pictured Niles kissing Mel, and the tears came one right after the other, taking precedence over the waves of nausea that claimed her stomach.

"I'm back, my angel."

She waited for the sound of Mel's shrill voice, beckoning him to come closer, but none came. And minutes later she was only faintly aware of two strong arms lifting her off the ground. She clung to the figure, burying her head in his chest until she was gently placed on something soft... the sofa perhaps?

"Daphne, what's wrong?"

She recognized the voice instantly. It was him... the man she loved with all of her heart. She tried to speak but the words wouldn't come. But when the question was asked again, she forced her mouth to move.

"Ni...les..."

And then he was gone, like a beautiful dream shattered in one brief moment.

"Niles... Come back..." She said weakly.

The gentle hand brushed against her face, bringing with it a cool sensation. Something damp... a towel perhaps? The object moved slowly across her face, becoming even gentler as it reached her cheek, but slightly more pressured against her forehead.

"Niles..." She moaned.

"I'm here my love. It's all right..."

"Niles..."

When she tried to sit up, the gentle hand coaxed her back onto the sofa, stroking her hair. His handsome face blurred even further when he moved closer and softly kissed her forehead.

"Just rest..." He whispered.

"But-."

"I'll be right back. I'm just going into the kitchen."

"No... Stay here... Don't leave..."

He sighed deeply. "Daphne..."

"Please don't marry Mel... Please..."

He froze in the doorway of the kitchen and was by her side in an instant. Very gently knelt beside her and put his arm around her, but at his touch she began to whimper.

"Please, Niles... Please..."

"Sweetheart, what's happened?"

"Niles... Please... Love me..."

"Oh my angel... I do love you... so much... more than words can say..."

"Love me... please... Love..."

When he touched her tender cheek she flinched and her eyes fluttered open.

"Niles?"

"Yes, my sweet angel. It's me."

Slowly she sat up and tried to focus on her surroundings. And when Niles handsome face came into view, her hand flew to her mouth and she burst into tears.

"Daphne, Daphne..." He said, sitting down beside her. Despite her trembling body, she melted against him, sobbing into his chest.

"Oh Niles..."

He held her for a long, long time... so long in fact, that she had no idea how much time had passed until she was finally calm. But even then, her arm curled around his shoulder, drawing him as close as humanly possible. She could feel his slender fingertips as they moved through her hair and then his lips, kissing the silky strands.

"It's all right. I'm here..."

When she was certain that she had no tears left, she raised her head and looked at him tearfully.

"What happened?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." He said, giving her a concerned smile that faded quickly.

"I... I saw... You and Mel... You... were asking her to forgive you... to marry you... you don't love me... and... She was so cruel... the things she said about me... Oh Niles... I'm so sorry!"

Once more she found herself wrapped in his embrace, and her body pressed against his so closely that in her state of dissolution she was sure that she heard his heart beating.

But that was impossible, wasn't it?

"Niles..."

"It's all right, my love. It was just a bad dream... God, now I wish I had never left you. Damn... All that time I spent trying to reason with that... that... woman..."

"Mel..."

"Yes. Damn her... I can't believe that I almost..."

"What?"

He sighed deeply and were she not so tired and weak, she would have surely known what he meant. But as it were, she had no clue.

"I almost married her." Niles said, answering her unspoken question as though he'd read her mind.

"I'm sorry..."

He kissed her lips, and the touch was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She gave into the kiss, deepening it quicker than she intended.

"Daphne... Please don't apologize."

"But that horrible woman... I can't imagine what she put you through! Did she hurt you?"

He swallowed hard and the words he didn't say resonated throughout the living room. And that's when she noticed the bruise on his eye. The sight of his injured face caused her to gasp in shock and she rose from the sofa, nearly losing her balance.

"Come on, Daphne. It's all right. Just sit down..."

But she made her way toward the kitchen, aware of his arm around her.

"All right, but go slowly."

When they reached the kitchen, she paused at the refrigerator and removed the ice pack.

"Come on, Sweetheart."

His arm still around her, they returned to the sofa where she encouraged him to sit down. Gently she put the ice pack over his eye, which was quickly turning purple.

"What happened?"

There was a long pause before he answered. "Well... Let's just say that Mel wasn't satisfied with my explanation of why I decided not to go through with the wedding."

Daphne's hand trembled as she slowly moved the ice pack and gently kissed his cheek.

"I'm so sorry... I love you so much and... This was Roz's idea, I swear! I never meant to hurt you... I just... "

The sobs returned, choking her voice and she was painfully aware of his gentle hand rubbing her back in a circular motion as he tried his best to calm her.

But she couldn't seem to stop. "I- wasn't going to go to your wedding at all, but you were so happy to see me and so sweet. I wanted to support you because... You're me friend and you've done so much for me that I... wanted to be there for you."

"And I appreciate it more than you know."

The sweet words only served to make her cry harder.

"But when I saw you, standing there with her... I couldn't help meself. I had to say something... because if I didn't... Oh God..."

He pulled her into his arms once more, moving back and forth as she cried onto his expensive dress shirt.

"I-I didn't mean to ruin your life. I just wanted you to love me..."

He stroked her hair, and his eyes were filled with more love than she ever thought a person could hold.

"I love you so much, Daphne. And had I married Mel, I would have never known how you felt about me. When you said those words to me, I was happier than I ever dreamed. You... didn't ruin anything, my love. Far from it. My life is a thousand times richer because you're in it. Because I had the pleasure of meeting you right here in this living room."

As filled her eyes, he brushed them away before they could reach the bridge of her nose.

"And since that time..." He continued, "I dreamed every night that you would come to me and say that you love me. Perhaps it was wrong, thinking about such a goddess and an angel when I was married to someone else and then later engaged to another. But somewhere, deep inside of me, I hoped and prayed that my dreams would come true. And they have, Daphne. Because of you."

Once more his face was blurred by her tears and when she reached out to touch his cheek, she found that it was damp with tears; tears that she couldn't resist kissing away.

"I love you..." She whispered.

The kisses that followed were passionate and urgent, filled with memories of so many years spent getting to know one another and perhaps unbeknownst to either of them, falling deeply in love.

They were so drawn to one another that neither of them noticed when the door opened. Nor did they notice the surprised glances they received or the looks on the two men's faces.

All they cared about was one another and how their love was so long in coming.

But had they been even slightly less in love, they would have seen the smiles that appeared on the faces as they watched the happy couple embracing and kissing.

"Would you look at that?" Martin said with a chuckle.

Frasier crossed his arms, unable to stop looking at his brother and the woman that Niles loved so deeply.

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."

"It was Roz who persuaded Daphne to go to the wedding right?"

"Amazingly yes. And that reminds me."

"What's that, Fras?"

"First thing Monday morning, I'm going straight to the station manager and demand that Roz get a raise. She's done an extraordinary thing."

"She sure has." Martin said.

"Maybe we should take them out to dinner. You know, to celebrate and get their minds off of things. They deserve it."

"They sure do." Martin agreed. His son and the woman he thought of as a daughter had stopped kissing and were now holding each other, oblivious to the fact that they weren't alone. "But maybe we should wait and take them to dinner tomorrow night. It looks like they've already stared celebrating without us. And that's the way it should be."

"You're absolutely right, Dad. Let's go into my bedroom and see if there's a good movie on. You know, I think there's a Jean Claude Van Damme movie scheduled to air."

Martin's eyes lit up. "Really? Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

They walked into the hallway and as Martin made his way to Frasier's room; his eldest son paused and turned around.

As quietly as possible, he returned to the living room and made himself a drink. When he turned around, he smiled at the sight before him.

Niles and Daphne were still on the sofa, wrapped in each other's arms, sound asleep.

Almost as an afterthought, he grabbed the blanket from the ottoman and unfolded it, laying it gently across his brother and the woman Niles loved so deeply.

For a moment, he stared at them, strangely jealous of what they shared.

"Well Niles, this morning when I woke up, I was sure that your wedding day was going to be the happiest day of your life. And I'm so glad that I was right."

**THE END  
**

**A/N: For those of you who have been reading this story from the beginning, thank you. That being said, the synopsis for this story was originally very different and I only realized that I had veered off into a completely different direction after I posted the final chapter. I think the end result is better than I intended, even though it made for a much shorter story. I have also changed the synopsis to better fit the premise of the story, as well as a few minor details in chapters 4-6. Hope I haven't caused any confusion by doing so. Please review if you feel so inclined. All comments are always appreciated! **


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